Thermostatic water control for window mats



INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY March 2, 1954 A. s. FEINBERG TRERMOSTATIO WATER CONTROL FOR wINOOw MATS Filed Oct. 50, 1952 RcH/E S. FEM/BERG Patented Mar. 2, 1954 OFFICE THERMOSTATIC WATER CONTROL FOR WINDOW MATS Archie S. Feinberg, Dallas, Tex.

Application October 30, 1952, Serial No. 317,647 9 claims.l (c1. ce1- 39) This vinvention relates to evaporative coolers and more particularly to window mats, operative in conjunction with attic fans for reducing the temperature of air influenced through the mats by the attic ian.

Evaporative cooling through the medium of moistened window mats in conjunction with attic fans is not new. It is desirable, however, to provide humidity control for individual window mats which is sensitively responsive to outside temperature fluctuations to insure comfort to the occupants of a room or building throughout a wide range of temperatures with provision for complete automatic operation of the humidity control.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide thermostatic moisture evaporation zone control for individual window mats in which the volume of water supplying moisture to the mat and the wetted area of the mat is varied in direct relation to variations in outside temperature. Thus, during periods of high dry bulb temperatures, the quantity of water deposited into the mat is considerably in excess of that received by the mat during low dry bulb temperatures at which time the relative'humidity of the air is higher and moisture carrying capacity is less.

It is another object of the invention to provide mechanism for increasing and decreasing the flow of water into an evaporative cooler mat in direct proportion to the increasing and decreasing of dry bulb temperatures, through the medium of wholly automatic means.

Broadly, the invention provides a lter mat having a pivoted water trough supported in the top of the mat frame having a multiplicity of Water outlet orices from end to end and a thermostat for tilting the water trough so that as temperature increases the orices in the trough Will be covered by water progressively from one end to the opposite end of the trough. In this manner, the moistened area of the mat will be increased as dry bulb temperature increases and conversely, the moistened area will decrease as dry bulb temperature decreases after having its effect upon the thermostat. Moreover, the invention provides for a complete shutting off of Water to the trough when the atmospheric tem` perature has reached a point where further entrainment of moisture in the air drawn through the mat would cause discomfort to the room occupants.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, reference is made tothe accompanying drawing wherein: .ga

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a window mat on which is installed the thermostatic moisture zone control of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in vertical section, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary transverse section taken on line 33 of Figurey 2.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference numeral I0 denotes broadly the frame of a window mat having foraminous sides H and containing a quantity vof wood shaving or other lter material I2. Side panels I3 extend from each side of the mat frame and by which the frame is secured in a window.

Co-extensive with the top of the frame I0 is a housing I4 having a removable cover l5. Mounted longitudinally within the housing I4 and supported on a centrally located transverse shaft l 6 is a water trough Il of substantially V- shape in transverse section. This trough has a,l

multiplicity of water outlet orifices I8 which are arranged in spaced relationship from one end of the trough to the other. The trough has closed ends i9 and under one end of the trough there is provided a transverse pin 20, Whose ends are anchored in opposing sides of the housing I 4.

the slightest change in surrounding temperature, expanding when the temperature rises and contracting as the temperature recedes. The upper end of the bellows 22 bears against the top of the frame 2l while the lower end is supported on a coil sp1-ing 23 which is effective to collapse the bellows as the gas contracts and counters the expansive action of the bellows to serve as a stabilizing medium. Attached to the under side of the bellows 22 is a hollow stem 24 into which extends a pin 25 and held therein by a set screw 26. On the lower end of the pin is a ball 27 which is movably retained in a socket 2B mounted on the upper end of a rod 29, the latter, in turn, being oscillatively joined to a shaft 3i) which has its ends secured in opposite sides of the trough il.

It is evident from the foregoing that as dry bulb temperature recedes or as wet bulb temperature increases, the bellows 22 will contract, thereby raising the trough i1 at one end so that water deposited into the trough in the manner to be presently set forth, will flow to the oppo-v trough only through the orices I8 adjacent said opposite end of the trough. In this manner, only that portion of the mat l2 directly below the active orices will be wetted. Conversely, as the dry bulb temperature increases, the gases in the bellows 22 will expand to cause the bellows to exert a downward thrust on the end of the trough Il toiwhich itis attached in the manner explained, whereupon the water in the trough will iiow towards the lower end oi the trough and will overflow a greater number of the orifices i8 to correspondingly meisten a more extensive area of the mat i2. At extreme high temperatures, all of the orices i8 will be covered with water since the trough will have moved to a horizontal position, limited by the stop 20.

Near the mid-section of the housing le and supported on the cover i5 is a needle valve-.housing 3|. A needle valve 3-2 is pivoted at 33 to the trough Ii and extends into the valve housing El. Water from a municipal source passes through a Water inlet tube 34 (Fig. l). A manually actuated valve 35 controls passage of water through' a tube 3% which is connected at one end to the valve 35 and extends upwardly behind panel I3 of' the frame I8, thence horizontally in the housing. I4 to its approximate mid-section whereupon it extends from the housing upwardly above the latter where it communicates with the needle valve housing 3 l. Connected also with the needle valve housing 3! is a tube 3i which extends outwardly and downwardly and into the housing lil where it extends in parallelism with tube 3E out of the endV of the housing i4 and has its free end turned upwardly and downwardly as indicated at 38 to discharge into one end of the trough il'.

In operation, the valve 35 is opened to allow water to now through tubes 34 and 35 into the needle valve housing 3l. `When dry bulb temperatures are such as to require any portion of the mat l2 to be moistened, the needle valve 32 will be in open position. Under such conditions, the water will ow through the valve housing Si into tube 3l which will convey the waterv into the trough Il in an amount proportionate to the an` guiar position of the trough. Obviously, at high temperatures, whenthe trough Il is in a horizontal position the needle valve 32will be fully opened so that a quantity of water will be supplied suiiicient to saturate the mat l2 from side to side. However, when the temperature recedes to a point where it would be uncomfortable to the occupants ci a room to entrain any moisture into theair inuenced through the mat, the trough Il will be elevated on its pivot IE by the bellows 22 to the maximum degree, whereupon the needle valve 32 will move to fully closed position, shutting ou all water supply to the trough Il.

It is sometimes required to adjust the needle valvel 32 in relation to its seat. This is accomplished through the medium of parallel adjusting screws 39 which are threaded through nuts it amxed to the top I5 of housing it on opposite sides of its center. rihe lower ends of these screws bear against a transverse bridge lll which has its ends affixed to opposite sides of the housing it. The purpose in providing two adjusting screws is tov insure against warping the cover i5 as the screws are rotated to raise and lower the needle valve 32 in relation to its seat.

Maniiestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of somel modicaton and such modification as may befconstrued to fall within the scope Y and meaning of` the appended.

claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an evaporative cooling mat for windows. an automatic moisture control comprising a frame for said mat, a housing co-extensive with the top of said frame having a cover, a water trough pivoted at its ymid-section within said housing and having water outlet orices in its bottom, means responsive to variations in dry bulb temperature mounted adjacent one end of said housing and having pivotal connection with one end of said trough to raise and lower the same in accordance with variations in temperature, a valve housing, means for supplying water from a source to said valve housing, means for conveying water from said valve housing to said trough, a valve connected to said trough and movable in said valve Ihousing for varying the quantity of water supplied to said trough through said valve housing in accordance with variations in the angular position of said trough.

2. In an evaporative cooling mat for windows, a moisture control comp-rising a housing coextensive with the width of said matV at the top thereof, a perforated trough tiltably mounted. in said housing on a transverse axis, thermostatic means supported on said housing and operatively connected with said trough. at one end thereof to raise and lower said end in accordancey with variations in atmospheric termoerature,l a tube for transporting water from a source to said trough and means communicating with said tube and movable by said trough to vary the quantity of water supplied to said trough by said tube. in accordance with variations injthe angular position of said trough.

3. A window mat comprising a frameembrac.-

ing water saturatable filter material, a perforated. i water trough pivoted at its mid-sectionjor tilting displacement above said frame, a tube for con-1 Veying water from a source into one end of said.

trough, means connected to said troughad'jacent its opposite end. and responsive to variations in. atmospheric temperature for tilting said trough and means in communication withsaidtube-for. varying the quantity of water Vsupplied toy said trough in accordance with differences in the angular position of said trough.

4. The structure ofv claim 3 in which the means for varying the quantity of water supplied to said trough consists of a needle valve and seat and means for raising and lowering. said needle-valve toeect its adjustment in` relation to said seat.

5. l'n a. window mat, a frame therefor, an'elongated housing co-extensivewith the width of said frame at the top thereof, a water trough havingl longitudinally spaced oriiices in its bottom and.

pivoted at its mid-section for tilting displacement in said housing for the distribution of'wa-v ter to predetermined areas of said mat, means pivotally connected to oneend of said trough for changing its angular positionin accordance with variations in atmospheric temperature, means for supplying Water from a source to the opposite` end of said trough and means pivotally connected: to and movable by said trough for varying the quantity of water supplied to said troughin accordance with changes in the angular position ofV placement, said trough having. .perforations ini spaced relation from one end to the opposite end" thereof, a tube for Supplying water from a source to one end of said trough, a valve housing through which said tube extends in its course to said trough, a needle valve connected pivotally to said trough and movable thereby in said housing to control the passage of water to said trough in quantities varied by the changes in angular positions of said trough, means operatively connected to the opposite end of said trough for tilting the same in degrees corresponding to variations in atmospheric temperatures.

7. The structure of claim 6 and means adjacent to and on opposite sides of needle valve for raising and lowering the same to eiect its adjustment in relation to its housing.

8. In a Window mat, a Water trough pivotally supported at its mid-section in substantial parallelism With the top of said mat for tilting displacement, said trough having perforations in spaced relationship from one end to the opposite end thereof, a tube for supplying Water from a source to one end of said trough, a valve housing through which said tube extends in its course to said trough, and a needle valve connected pivotally to said trough and moveable thereby in said housing to control the passage of Water to said trough in quantities Varied by the changes in angular positions of said trough.

9. The structure of claim 8 and means operatively connected to the opposite end of said trough for tilting the same in degrees corresponding to variations in atmospheric temperatures.

ARCHIE S. FEINBERG.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,284,334 Hodge Nov. 12, 1918 2,431,389 Fleisher Nov. 25, 1947 

